Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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38 them. I said, "No; I will not buy what was stolen from me; the saw must be returned, and I will give an axe to the one who goes for it, and fetches it to me." The following day, Sunday, the 15th, we held the usual services under a large tree near the mission house; a great many strangers present; the latter were very troublesome. On Monday afternoon the saw was returned. The _Mayri_ left us that day, to visit the teachers at East Cape. The people are getting quieter. At present they are chiefly interested in the sawing of the wood for the flooring of the house. They work willingly for a piece of hoop-iron and a few beads, but cannot do much continuously. They seem to have no kind of worship, and their sports are few. The children swing, bathe, and sail small canoes. The grown-up people have their dance--a very poor sort of thing. A band of youths, with drums, stand close together, and in a most monotonous tone sing whilst they beat the drums. The dancers dance round the men once or twice, and all stop to rest a bit. I have been twice present when only the women danced. They bury their dead, and place houses over the graves, which they fence round, planting crotons, bananas, etc., inside. They do their cooking inside their houses. It was very hot and uncomfortable when we were in the native house. The master being a sort of chief, and having a large household, a great deal of cooking was required. Three large fires were generally burning in their end of the house for the greater part of the day. The heat and smoke from these fires were not nice. Indeed, they generally had one or two burning all night, to serve for blankets, I suppose. [Natives of South-Eastern New Guinea: 59.jpg] We went on with our work about the place, getting on well with the natives and with those from other parts. We became so friendly with the
39 natives that I had hoped to go about with them in their canoes. Several natives from one of the settlements invited me to visit their place, and said if I went with them in their canoe they would return me. I went with them, and was well received by all the people at the settlement, where I spent some hours. On the 21st of December, the _Mayri_ returned from East Cape, and reported that all were sick, but that the people were very friendly and kind to teachers. Anxious to keep the vessel employed, and to prepare the way for landing teachers, I resolved to visit a settlement on the mainland at deadly feud with this people. The people here tried hard to dissuade me from going, telling me that, as I stayed with them, my head would be cut off. Seeing me determined to go, they brought skulls, saying, mine would be like that, to adorn their enemies' war canoe, or hang outside the chief's house. Feeling sure that they did not wish me to go because they were afraid the hoop-iron, the knives, axes, beads, and cloth might also be distributed on the other side, I told them I must go; so they left me to my fate. I took the teacher with me that I hoped to leave there. We were received very kindly by the people. They led us inland, to show us there was water, and when we got back to the seaside they regaled us with sugarcane and cocoanuts. They then told us that they did not live at the village, but at the next, and merely came here for food. We then got into a canoe, and were paddled up to the other village, where a great crowd assembled, and where we publicly gave the chiefs our presents. They danced with delight, and told the teacher not to be long until he came to reside with them. On our return we thought our friends seemed disappointed. We had suffered no harm; however, as I had been unwell for some days, and felt worse on the day following my trip, they felt comforted, and assured me it was because of our visiting Tepauri. We had several things stolen,
Page 1 and 2: 1 Adventures in New Guinea James Ch
Page 3 and 4: 3 Partial surveys of the south coas
Page 5 and 6: 5 by the natives, has added enormou
Page 7 and 8: 7 vegetable products--fine timber,
Page 9 and 10: 9 take long for the natives to lear
Page 11 and 12: 11 "To all to whom these presents s
Page 13 and 14: 13 We left Sydney by the Dutch stea
Page 15 and 16: 15 Murray Island. We went ashore th
Page 17 and 18: 17 of the Loyalty Island teachers,
Page 19 and 20: 19 We had a bath, then supper, and
Page 21 and 22: 21 been about thirty miles off, and
Page 23 and 24: 23 We walked about seven miles thro
Page 25 and 26: 25 About three in the afternoon, an
Page 27 and 28: 27 exchanging names with us, in hop
Page 29 and 30: 29 were still mourning. There had b
Page 31 and 32: 31 came off to us in a small one. W
Page 33 and 34: 33 who considers himself the chief
Page 35 and 36: 35 walls and roof finished, when al
Page 37: 37 moment, and one in which I am su
Page 41 and 42: 41 arm. On running through the vill
Page 43 and 44: 43 child. The people continued trou
Page 45 and 46: 45 Communication was held with some
Page 47 and 48: 47 astern, that the first canoe wou
Page 49 and 50: 49 formation of the land and the ma
Page 51 and 52: 51 me, I shall return." It had the
Page 53 and 54: 53 "Oh no, my friends; pull, you mu
Page 55 and 56: 55 A girl steals out from the crowd
Page 57 and 58: 57 all done up in small parcels, so
Page 59 and 60: 59 who knows what he may be up to?
Page 61 and 62: 61 in the distance, numbers more si
Page 63 and 64: 63 When in the boat, we asked the H
Page 65 and 66: 65 When sickness is in the family,
Page 67 and 68: 67 16_th_.--Ruatoka, Joe (an Africa
Page 69 and 70: 69 20_th_.--Yesterday evening, abou
Page 71 and 72: 71 gave him some on his taro. He be
Page 73 and 74: 73 "If you go on you will be devour
Page 75 and 76: 75 teeth, hold with one hand, and w
Page 77 and 78: 77 understand them. It is very conv
Page 79 and 80: 79 to get tobacco and salt, their h
Page 81 and 82: 81 Owen Stanley. There will be plen
Page 83 and 84: 83 20_th_.--Last night, after turni
Page 85 and 86: 85 _Nao_, _nao_! (foreigners), and
Page 87 and 88: 87 They seem very much attached to
Page 89 and 90:
89 Seeing there was nothing for it-
Page 91 and 92:
91 Sogerians. I was sitting on the
Page 93 and 94:
93 natives. This part of the plain
Page 95 and 96:
95 streams from the Astrolabe Range
Page 97 and 98:
97 places precipitous rocks. The fa
Page 99 and 100:
99 true it was the Great Spirit or
Page 101 and 102:
101 grass bound tight at one end, a
Page 103 and 104:
103 afraid, expecting a raid, and a
Page 105 and 106:
105 "I am going to Motumotu, and no
Page 107 and 108:
107 the sea was too high, breaking
Page 109 and 110:
109 different. To get into Motumotu
Page 111 and 112:
111 I landed with them, and went up
Page 113 and 114:
113 In the afternoon we held servic
Page 115 and 116:
115 CHAPTER V. THE KALO MASSACRE. T
Page 117 and 118:
117 and, after the first moments of
Page 119 and 120:
119 at once offered me as much land
Page 121 and 122:
121 fighting all round, avenging Oa
Page 123 and 124:
123 not stay if they were to be con
Page 125 and 126:
125 and praying that He would care
Page 127 and 128:
127 at from aft, fell overboard, an
Page 129 and 130:
129 CHAPTER V. EAST CAPE IN 1878 AN
Page 131 and 132:
131 at East Cape on a Sunday. Morni
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Adventures in New Guinea James Chalmers

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